Rebellion
by Believe in Fairy Tales
Summary: Cagalli is desperate to be with the only person she loves, but her father seems to be blocking her every step of the way. What lengths will she go to to find freedom? - DISCONTINUED -
1. Chapter 1

**Hi guys! :D I've been bitten by the inspiration bug lately, so I'll be uploading a few short stories and drabbles along with updating my multi-chapter fic (if you haven't read it, pay a visit to the poor little thing, it needs reviews) **

**I was thinking of making this into a multi-chapter fic as well, but I'm not entirely sure. Please review and tell me what you think I should do :)**

**Enjoy!**

"I said no, Cagalli!"

"But Father!" the young woman pleaded, close to tears. "Just give him a chance…"

"No!" her father's stern words put an end to her pleas. His expression was stormy – he was in a mood Cagalli was hesitant to deal with. "He's a Coordinator!"

That was the last straw for the blonde-haired girl. "So what if he's a Coordinator?" she shouted angrily, clenching her hands into fists. "Is it so wrong to have feelings for someone who makes me happy?"

"It would never work between you two!" her father hissed back, glaring at his only daughter. "He would just hurt you if you let this relationship progress! Break it off now before it's too late!"

"You make it sound like I'm going to marry the guy!" Cagalli hissed, glaring back. She had had enough of her father's assumptions of Athrun. "I know for a fact that he would never hurt me! And it's my life – surely I should be able to choose who I want to have a relationship with? None of the boys you seem so keen of would ever make me happy!"

"And a mixed-race relationship would?" her father roared, slamming a fist down onto his oak wood desk. Cagalli jumped visibly, but refused to back down. "Would he be willing to join the Earth Alliance for you? Would he?"

"I don't know!" she shouted, tears pricking the backs of her eyes. "But it doesn't matter! None of this should matter!"

"It matters, Cagalli, more that you think!" her father's tone was quieter now – but venom laced it in an undertone. "I know for a fact that mixed-race relationships do not end well! You two are just too different!"

"What makes us so different, Father?" Cagalli growled, her fingers digging into the upholstered chair back in front of her. "We make each other happy! That's all that should matter!"

"I forbid it!" her father shouted suddenly, his expression darkening further. "You are to have no contact with that boy from now on!"

"But Father!" tears were streaming from Cagalli's eyes. "You can't!"

"I can, and I will!" her father glared at her, enraged. "You are not to see that boy again! If I see him around here again, I will personally rip his head from his shoulders!"

Cagalli felt her heart drop to her feet, her hopes crushed. Her father always did this - whenever she found something that made her happy, he deemed it unacceptable and ripped it away.

"I hate you!" she screamed, turning and bolting from the room, her sobs echoing behind her as she ran.

Short blonde hair whipping out behind her, Cagalli ran straight down the hallway from her father's office and out the front door, her booted feet kicking up clouds of dust from the gravel drive as she headed for the front gate of the estate.

She didn't know where she was headed, as long as she got as far away from her father as possible. There was no one else on the deserted country lane as Cagalli kept running, her feet guiding her subconsciously to the one spot she came to every day, just to see him. Just to be with her Athrun.

She didn't care what her father had said. Cagalli was determined to be with Athrun, no matter what the cost. She didn't care about the repercussions, as long as she was happy.

She didn't care if she sounded selfish – Athrun was everything to her.


	2. Chapter 2

**A quick shout-out to hakuMeyen, thanks for reviewing :D yeah, this was sort of inspired by Romeo and Juliet, we had to do it in class not so long ago and the story just sort of stuck with me…**

**Depending on how the story progresses, I might change the genre from angst to something a little more positive :P as for the ending…**

**I suppose we'll all just have to stick around and see what happens, wont we? ;)**

**Oh, and before I forget, I gotta stick that damn disclaimer in here somewhere…**

**"I do not own Gundam Seed in any way, shape or form. All characters associated with it belong to the original creator, and I am only borrowing them for my own twisted purposes. Please don't sue me."**

**Chapter two**

Cagalli didn't know exactly how long she spent under the tree where she had met Athrun so many times before, but the next thing she knew, it was sunset. She looked up at the gold and pink tinged clouds overhead ad sighed, leaning back against the rough bark of the tree.

She dreaded going home now. She wished she could just stay out here forever and never have to see her father again. He claimed he just wanted to protect her and look out for her, but he insisted on keeping her locked up in the estate, cutting her off from anyone on the outside, and forbid her from seeing the one person who made her genuinely happy. How could he protect her when he made her so unhappy?

And it wasn't as if he was ignorant of his daughter's plight. He knew full well she was unhappy and stifled in the life she lived. He was just too self-centred to want to change his views and allow her some freedom.

A chill started to creep into the evening air, and Cagalli pulled her legs up against her chest, resting her chin atop them. She wrapped her arms around her shivering form.

"Cagalli? What are you doing here?" a voice said.

Turning her head slightly, Cagalli caught sight of Athrun standing a few feet away, on the road that ran past their tree. He looked worried.

She gave him a watery smile and looked once more at the setting sun before closing her eyes and resting her head against the tree. "I needed to think, that's all."

She was aware of Athrun's form settling down next to hers. His arm wrapped around her shoulders and rubbed her arm comfortingly. "I know something's wrong. You can tell me, whatever it is."

Cagalli screwed her eyes shut to keep the tears in. She hated crying, hated appearing weak infront of other people. Even her beloved Athrun.

"You won't like it if I tell you," she said quietly, resting her head against Athrun's shoulder.

"Try me."

Taking a deep breath, Cagalli focused on the warmth of Athrun body next to hers, and told herself it would be alright. He wouldn't be angry at her…hopefully.

She retold her argument with her father to Athrun, how she had run out of the house and ended up under the tree. She told him that she didn't want to go back, otherwise her father would keep her locked up in the house for running off and she would never be allowed outside again.

Athrun stayed silent for a few moments, letting everything Cagalli had told him sink in.

"Cagalli," he started slowly, his grip tightening around her shoulders. "I'm boarding a battleship tomorrow morning. Come with me. You don't have to stay here."

Cagalli looked at him sharply. Was she really prepared to leave everything behind to join him? She had no friends in the town, her father had always kept her away from civilians. She had only met Athrun by accident when she knocked into him at the market when she had once been allowed out of the estate. And her father…he would surely send people to look for her. Never mind the fact that she would be the daughter of the one of the most prominent figures in Orb boarding a ZAFT warship.

She frowned, thinking everything over. There were far more cons to staying than pros. And if she went back home, her father would no doubt punish her for leaving the estate.

Could she really do it? Cagalli looked up at Athrun, saw the uncertainty and anticipation in his eyes, the worry on his face. And suddenly all her doubts melted away. Athrun was all she needed. She didn't need her overbearing father, this stifled existence locked up in some dusty old mansion.

"I should never have asked that of you, I could never possibly ask you to leave your whole life behind," Athrun started, frowning.

He started apologizing, but Cagalli silenced him with a chaste kiss.

"You don't have anything to apologize for," she said with a gentle smile. "I want to go with you."

"You're sure?" Athrun asked, slightly surprised by her actions.

"I've never been more sure about anything in my life, Athrun Zala."

**Anyone have any ideas on where I should go from here?**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey yall :D thanks again to hakuMeyen for reviewing, it literally makes my day :D I will be updating as often as I possibly can, so no one has to worry about this being forgotten about and never finished.**

**Here's chapter 3, hope you all enjoy! Sorry it's so short -_-'**

**If anyone has any ideas for what I should do in the next chapter, please review and let me know! Thanks!**

**R&R**

**Chapter three**

"Are you sure about this?" Cagalli muttered, frowning as she clung to Athrun's arm.

"Don't worry, it'll be fine. I've already verified your story with the higher ups, no one will suspect a thing," he smiled comfortingly at her.

Taking a deep breath to calm her frazzled nerves, Cagalli followed Athrun through the crowded terminal, her eyes focused solely on the boarding gate at the other end of the room. She squashed down the nervous feeling in the pit of her stomach. She would be fine. She could do this.

As they neared the doorway, Cagalli steeled herself and released Athrun's arm, straightening her uniform and releasing the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.

Athrun smiled at her again, encouragingly. She smiled back and straightened her posture, following him through the gates. She would make the most of her new beginning.

….

A few hours later, Cagalli had been settled into the room assigned to her on the ship. She didn't have any room mates, seeing as she was a new addition to the crew and the rest of the recruits had been paired up already.

As she was unpacking her extra uniform and some casual civilian clothes into the small foot locker at the bottom of her narrow bed, there was a knock on the door.

Cagalli folded her last uniform skirt and shut the lid of the locker as Athrun walked into the room, dressed in his own maroon uniform.

"All settled?" he asked as she stood.

The blonde dusted off her skirt and smiled at him. "Yeah, everything's packed."

Athrun paused for a moment before adding, "And you're…okay with everything?"

Cagalli gave a small laugh and wrapped her arms around Athrun's torso in a tight hug. "Everything's fine, Athrun. This is what I want."

"Just making sure," he chuckled, resting his chin on her head and returning the hug.

They stayed like that for a few more moments, before Athrun broke away hesitantly. He took her hand and led her out the door. "Come on, there's some friends of mine I want you to meet. They'll help you around the ship if you ever need it."

Cagalli stayed silent as Athrun led her through the twisting corridors to the canteen.

The long room was basically empty when the pair entered. Only about ten people were in the canteen, spread out amongst the different tables. There was on table near the back of the room where five people sat. To Cagalli, they looked like they were having quite an involved conversation, laughing and joking around.

She was a little hesitant to walk further into the room. She felt out of place, as if her secret of being a Natural amongst all these Coordinators would suddenly be revealed if she interacted with any of them. But with some gentle encouragement from Athrun, he led her to the noisy table.

The talking died down a little as each of the five mean at the table gave Cagalli curious looks. She returned their looks with equal fire, not willing to let herself be intimidated by strangers.

"Boys, this is Cagalli, she's a new recruit," Athrun started. "Try to make her feel welcome," he added with a laugh.

The table broke out in wide smiles, and each crew member introduced themselves. In turn, Cagalli shook their hands and was soon settled at the table, right next to Athrun.

"So, Cagalli, what brings you aboard this fine vessel?" one of the youngest at the table, Nicol, asked.

"It's sort of a long story," Cagalli said with a laughed, already feeling at ease around these new people.

"We've got time," a boy with blonde hair and dark skin said with a grin, leaning forward on the table. "We're not due out on another mission for at least another two days."

The others laughed, and Cagalli found herself laughing along. She could definitely get used to this.


	4. Chapter 4

****ATTENTION READERS****

**I apologize profusely for not updating, but someone managed to go through 10 gigabytes of data this month and I got cut off before I even knew what was happening -_-**

**This urgent note of apology is currently being broadcast to you from a helpful friend's computer (bless her heart, may she have ever-lasting happiness).**

**And I also take this opportunity to inform you wonderful readers and reviewers that I go back to the hell that is school on Monday…so updating may take longer than usual :'(**

**Once again, thank you all so much for reading and reviewing! Your feedback makes my day ^.^**

**Please bear with me, I'll try and update as much as I can**

**(And sorry for making this note in place of a chapter, it annoys the hell out of me for having to do it)**

**Believe In Fairy Tales**

**xox**


	5. Chapter 5

**Sorry this chapter is so late! :/ **

**The damn internet is down, so I've had to resort to uploading chapters from the school computers. This, and the fact that I'm back to the hell that is high school, means I won't have the time to update as often as I like. **

**But I will try my best to update this story whenever possible, so you'll all just have to bear with me, please? **

**Thanks for your patience ****^.^'**

**This chapter was inspired by the song California Kingbed by Rihanna…*_* this is my first time writing a scene like this, so excuse me if it sucks a little -_-'**

**Thanks so much to my faithful reviewers, you guys are epically awesome XD I wish everyone had time to review like you ;D**

**If anyone has any tips or pointers of ideas for the next chapter, please let me know :D**

Chapter four

Cagalli had been on the ZAFT warship with Athrun for just over a week. She had been assigned to helping maintain the Gundams, and had even been allowed to pilot them once or twice. Her skills with the massive man-like machines was limited. Her father had allowed her when she was a year or two younger to try her hand at piloting. She found she quite enjoyed working on the machines.

It took a lot of concentration to learn just how to properly maintain them, and she found it a welcome distraction from the nagging worry that stayed at the back of her mind. She tried beating down the thoughts of what would happen if her father found her, but they somehow always managed to keep pushing their way back to the surface.

She sighed and shifted under her blankets. She had been given a day off by her superior, since the ZAFT ship wasn't directly involved in any conflict at the moment and the Gundams didn't need any emergency repairs.

A strong arm tightened around her waist and pulled Cagalli back against a warm body. She looked over her shoulder at Athrun and smiled. She laid under the blankets and he on top of them. That had been their routine for the past couple of days – Athrun spent more time in Cagalli's room than his own, just lying beside her and being near her.

Athrun's warm breath tickled Cagalli's neck. "Shouldn't you be on duty by now?" she laughed, hoping the answer would be no.

"Le Creuset gave the team some time off since we're not near any battle zones," Cagalli could feel him smile against her shoulder. "Bet that's just what you wanted to hear."

Cagalli smirked and punched him lightly on the shoulder. "Don't flatter yourself, Mister Zala."

"That would imply I was conceited, Miss Yula Athha," Athrun chuckled, flipping Cagalli onto her back.

She laughed as he hovered over her, threading her arms around his neck. "You? Conceited? Never. That would make you too much like Dearka."

"Just checking," he said as he kissed her softly.

Cagalli's hold tightened around his neck as she returned the kiss. That was one of the parts she loved the most about her decision to join Athrun aboard the ship – she could finally be with him without fear of repercussions from her father, able to just be herself around him and not constantly fret over what would become of them.

He was here now, and she wouldn't let him go.

Cagalli reluctantly broke away for a moment, looking into Athrun's deep green eyes. He smiled and settled down beside her again, pulling the blonde towards him. Cagalli rested her head on Athrun's chest and sighed contentedly.

"Thank you, Athrun…" she said softly, closing her honey-brown eyes for a moment.

"For what?" he asked.

"For taking me with you," Cagalli replied.

Athrun chuckled again, dropping a kiss on the top of her head. "I can't imagine what I would have done if you had said no."

"Like that would have even been an option," Cagalli snorted, rolling her eyes. She was quiet for a moment. "What happens now?"

"Now? Now we just move forward and take what comes," he replied, rubbing comforting circles on her back. "You'll carry on with the mechanics, and I'll be here whenever you need me. We're not expected to be engaging any hostiles in the near future, so you won't have to worry about that."

Cagalli fisted her hands in Athrun's shirt. She pushed down the nervous butterflies in her stomach. Athrun was here. He would make sure everything was okay. And Cagalli was no weakling – she could handle herself. She would be fine. She just had to keep telling herself that.

She didn't want to think about the war, or the time when Athrun would be sent out to fight and she would be left all alone on the ship with people she barely knew. Never mind the fact that she would probably worry herself sick until he came back again.

She reasoned with herself. She had never seen him fight, but Cagalli was sure Athrun was a more than capable pilot. He could handle himself out there. She had to focus on her job onboard the ship. There were things that needed to be done and people who needed her to do them. She couldn't let them down, and she couldn't let herself down by burying herself in a hole every time Athrun wasn't around.

She calmed her racing heart and focused on Athrun's warm body beside her. She took comfort from the fact the he was with her, and that he had promised everything would be okay. Athrun never went back on a promise.

Cagalli sighed and closed her eyes again, listening to the steady thump of Athrun's heart beat. She wished they could stay in that near-perfect moment for ever.

**/edit**

**Thanks AsuCaga4ever for pointing out my err...little error / I went back and fixed it quite promptly hehe...**

**Thanx so much for reviewing, by the way! :D**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey guys! Thanks for the reviews, really makes my day :D**

**First off, I apologize for neglecting this poor little ficlet -_-' I was suddenly struck by inspiration for my other multi-chapter fic and had to get that out of my system (and keep the readers of that story entertained).**

**Sorry about that little mistake in the last chapter, it's been a while since I finished watching Seed, and some of the details were a little hazy in my head… /**

**Thanks AsuCaga4ever for pointing it out, though :D those are just the kind of reviews I need, I really want to improve and get rid of any imperfections in these stories so you guys can enjoy them more! It really helps when I get feedback that helps me do that :) **

**And once again, if anyone has any ideas about what to do for the next chapter, ****tell me****! **

**I need ideas :/**

**Chapter five**

Another week flew by for Cagalli aboard the ZAFT warship, and still no sign of her father even making an attempt to look for her. She chalked it down to the fact that he must have finally carried out his threat to disown her and had merely written her off as another failure, never to be seen again.

Cagalli couldn't say she wasn't upset by the fact. She was slightly hurt by the fact that her father hadn't cared for her after all, but was actually immensely relieved that he hadn't searched for her. She would rather stay with Athrun on an enemy ship than hauled back to be locked up in the prison she had once called home.

She threw herself into her work to keep her mind off things, dedicating her waking moments to learning as much as she could about the Gundams and various other mechanical aspects of the machines she was working with, like some of the strike planes and even repairing parts of the warship itself. The mechanics she had been assigned to work with were impressed by her dedication to her work and her genuine interest to learn. She had even been allowed to pilot and test some of the Gundams again, and her skills with the humanoid machines were rapidly improving, much to her delight. That was probably Cagalli's favourite aspect of getting to work aboard the ship - being able to pilot the machines she had always found so fascinating.

Entering into her third week aboard the ship, Cagalli came to view the past two weeks as the proverbial calm before the storm.

She had been sitting in her room, packing away her service uniform after having collected it from the laundry. She had been just about to leave the room and go back to the hanger to report for duty when the door slid open, revealing a very troubled-looking Athrun.

"Athrun? What's wrong?" Cagalli had asked, a worried from creasing her forehead.

Athrun had just shook his head and stepped into the room, the door sliding closed behind him. Cagalli noticed he was dressed in his red flight suit. Her stomach twisted uncomfortably. She had a bad feeling that she knew where this was going.

"Athrun?" she prompted when she still didn't respond, taking a few steps towards him.

Sighing, he pulled his eyes from the spot on the floor he had been staring at and met her concerned gaze with his own apologetic one.

"They're sending us out on a scouting mission in about an hour or so," he explained, toying with the helmet he held between his hands. "I know you don't want to be left alone on the ship, but…"

Cagalli's frown softened and she wrapped her arms around him, resting her head on his shoulder. "You don't need to worry about me anymore, Athrun. I can manage just fine here on my own. You should be concerned with looking after yourself now."

Athrun returned the hug, letting her words comfort him. He hated the thought of leaving her alone with people he didn't trust. The only people he felt she was safe around were his team, and all of them were going to be on the mission with him. But if Cagalli was confident that she would manage, who was he to doubt her?

"You sure?" he asked, closing his eyes for a moment as he breathed in her comforting scent.

"Positive," Cagalli chuckled. "I have plenty of work to do down in the hanger to keep me out of trouble," she added playfully.

"Keep you out of trouble, huh?" Athrun scoffed, rolling his eyes at her. "Trust you to find a way to find trouble in any case."

"Hey!" she protested, pulling back slightly to glare at him. "I don't look for fights!"

"Sure," he replied sarcastically, smirking fondly at the blonde. "Just try to play nice with everyone while I'm gone."

"Yes, Mom," Cagalli pulled a tongue at the pilot, folding her arms in a huff.

Athrun just chuckled at her childishness and kissed her lightly on the forehead.

"I'll be back soon," he said over his shoulder as he left the room, smiling at her.

She smiled back as the door closed. When she heard Athrun's footfalls fade away, Cagalli sighed, her shoulders dropping. She wasn't concerned about being left alone on the ship. She was concerned about Athrun's safety flying around in a warzone.

And he probably knew it, too, which was why he had tried to distract her with his own jabs at her insecurities, so she wouldn't worry too much about him.

But he had been wrong. Cagalli hadn't been distracted for a moment. She would probably hold her breath until he got back in one piece. Shaking her head irritably and trying to calm her jittery nerves, Cagalli straightened her work uniform and headed down to the hanger, to try and distract herself with her work once again.


	7. Chapter 7

**Sawubona! (That's Zulu, for those of you that don't know :3)**

**Thanks for all the great ideas, guys! You ROCK! XD **

**I'll definitely use them, they work really well with what I'm trying to do :3 you're all so insightful (I LOVE IT) 8D**

**The reviews really do mean a lot to me, it means I'm doing **_**something**_** right :P**

**Many many many many many many many MANY thanks, hugs and *insert whatever you like here* to my regular reviewers, and those who have recently commented 3 those comments literally have the power to take an EXTREMELY horrifying day (like today :/) and completely turn it around :D **

**Makes me all damn fuzzy inside…**

_**Anywho…**_

**On with the story! I'm introducing Kira in this chapter, so it's going to be a little (or a lot) longer than usual. I think we can sort of guess what will happen :3**

**Chapter six**

Cagalli had been busy repairing a few damaged jet packs down in the hanger when the attack started. There was a bomb blast somewhere near the prow of the ship, rocking it violently and scattering all loose objects and personnel over the decks.

She crashed to the ground with a startled cry, narrowly avoiding being crushed under a large tool box that had been on the table next to her. The ship tilted dangerously to the other side as the pilots in the main control room tried to stabilize her. All around her, people were screaming and shouting, trying to put out the fire that raged through the section of hanger nearest the loading bay.

Cagalli scrambled to her feet, heart thumping wildly in her chest. Smoke was rapidly filling the large room, making Cagalli choke on its acrid fumes. She was close to panic as she stumbled blindly around the rocking hanger – all their best pilots had been gone for close to four hours. The ship was basically defenseless.

Cagalli, forcefully pulling her mind out of the panicked rut it had fallen into, was struck by an idea. She stumbled over to one of the Mobile Suits that had just recently been repaired and scaled the scaffolding leading up to the cockpit. Another violent tremor rocked the ship and Cagalli let out a short scream when she was nearly flung from the skeletal metal structure. She quickly regained her grip and made the last two leaps to the Mobile Suit's control room, throwing herself inside just as another bomb blast further down the hull of the ship shattered the scaffolding into hundreds of pieces.

Breathing heavily, Cagalli closed the cockpit and activated the machine, pulling various levers and pressing assorted buttons until everything was lit up and fully operational. She powered up the flight boosters on the Mobile Suit and blasted away the thick smoke that obscured her vision.

Tendrils of bright orange flame licked at the insides of the ship, and Cagalli immediately spurred into action. She didn't know if or when Athrun would be back, but she needed to do something _now_. Or the entire ship would go down. Thinking of what might have happened to Athrun brought tears to her eyes, but Cagalli pushed down the rising panic and focused on the task at hand. She had a ship to save.

Gritting her teeth and steeling her heat, Cagalli moved the Suit to one of the launch tunnels that had been blown open. She burst outside in a cloud of cloying smoke, right into the fray.

It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the bright daylight after the hazy interior of the ship. She saw a whole team of enemy Earth Alliance Mobile Suits lined up along the ship's hull, fire rapidly with their nuclear weapons.

_Nuclear weapons?_ Cagalli's shocked gaze took in the bright light beams emitted from their weapons. _Since when did the Earth Alliance have access to nuclear weapons?_

Pushing her confusion to the side, Cagalli growled and took action. She pulled more levers and punched more buttons, drawing her own plasma cannon out of the sheath on the Gundam's leg. She aimed it at the nearest enemy Mobile Suit, but hesitated before pulling the trigger. These had once been her own men, people she had probably fought alongside. But she was aligned with the ZAFT forces now. And she had a ship to defend.

Narrowing her eyes, Cagalli squeezed the trigger, cutting the unsuspecting Mobile Suit in two with a bright red plasma beam. A moment or two later, the decimated machine exploded, showering Cagalli in the Suit she piloted in a hail of shrapnel and charred metal.

It took mere nanoseconds for the other Mobile Suits to be alerted to her presence after she destroyed one of their comrades. Their fire was instantly diverted from the smoking ship and directed at her. Cagalli cursed and dodged a bright nuclear beam that would have sliced clean through her machine's arm. She couldn't afford to let the Naturals land a single hit on her, or she would be done for.

The Gundam's monitor picked up another Mobile Suit directly behind her, and Cagalli spun around just in time to block a long-sword on its arcing descent to her head. Sparks flew as the sword scraped against the toughened metal of her plasma gun, the weapons emitting high-pitched screeches. Cagalli's blood froze in her pounding veins when she heard yet another weapon being charged up behind her. She had to make a tough choice – risk losing her weapon and dodging the incoming blast, thus being left nearly defenseless, or keep hold of her weapon and risk losing an arm or leg? Or, depending where said weapon was aimed, her life?

Letting out a frustrated growl, Cagalli roughly shoved the enemy Mobile Suit away from her with her foot and yanked roughly on the levers connected to the flight boosters of her Gundam, barely managed to dive out of the way of the solid beam of canon fire that blasted past her head. The intense heat of the blast bubbled and peeled the paint off the body of Cagalli's Mobile Suit, and she was forced to shield her face with her arms to protect her burning eyes from the blinding glare.

Cagalli was suddenly slammed into from the back by a powerful force, knocking her Mobile Suit – and herself inside of it – into a wild tumble through the air as she tried desperately to regain control of the large machine. She cried out when yet another unseen force slammed into her front what she guessed was above, sending her plummeting to the ground.

With her limited piloting skills, Cagalli couldn't regain control of the Mobile Suit in time and she slammed into the hard ground, the impact knocking her breathless. Her vision blacked out for a moment as Cagalli struggled to stay conscious. Her distinct lack of a helmet was made very obvious when she lifted a hand to her throbbing head, groaning when she felt warm, slick blood flow down from a gash just above her temple.

Cagalli was dimly aware of a few thuds as maybe about three of the enemy Mobile Suits landed on the ground, surrounding her. Groaning, she pushed herself upright in her seat and grabbed hold of the controls again, refusing to let the Earth Suits get the better of her. She may not be the best in battle, but she certainly wasn't going to go down without a fight.

But as she tried to raiser her battered Gundam off the ground, the foot of one of the attacking Mobile Suits slammed down against her hull, pinning her to the ground. Crying out in alarm as the pressure on the hull of her machine increased, denting it inwards and bringing her dangerously closed to being crushed, Cagalli closed her eyes and waited for that final impact.

The only thing going through her mind was a silent apology to Athrun, the only regret in her heart that she wouldn't be able to see him again, wherever he was. If he was still alive. Even in what seemed like her dying moments, she fervently wished that he was still alive and breathing, somewhere out there.

And then, suddenly, the crushing stopped. Cagalli let out the breath she hadn't realized she had been holding and cautiously opened her eyes. She stared at the concaved metal hull of her Mobile Suit for a moment or two, to make sure it wasn't suddenly going to start moving again.

A split second later, she screamed as the entire front of the prone Gundam was ripped clean off, like a sardine can. Cagalli suddenly found herself staring up at three very large – very _intimidating_ – Earth Alliance Mobile Suits. Her amber eyes widened a fraction, and she grimaced. So, this was it. She had escaped her prison of a home just to be crushed by some oversized kid's toys trying to protect an enemy ship she technically wasn't supposed to be aboard.

She snorted at the twistedness of it all. Karma really was a bitch.

Then, rather unexpectedly, one of the towering Mobile Suits opened its hatch. Cagalli could only watch in confusion as a lone pilot disembarked from his machine, slowly descending down to the ground using a jetpack.

Cagalli tried to move, but found all the strength sapped from her limbs due to her rough treatment at the hands of the Naturals who were no doubt now coming down to finish the job, up close and personal. Why they hadn't just crushed her inside the machine, she hadn't the foggiest.

With renewed vigor, Cagalli tried her hardest to right herself in the fallen seat, but the belt was stuck. As much as she tugged and pulled, it wouldn't come loose – the buckle had been smashed some time during her crash. Giving a frustrated screech, she could only flop back in defeat. She would die at the hands of these people. That much was a given. Cagalli swallowed back tears and asked herself if she would change any of it.

Truth be told, she could honestly say that no, she wouldn't.

Blackness encroached on her vision as Cagalli fought to stay conscious. Her vision swam and red dots danced infront of her face. A helmeted head suddenly appeared in her line of sight, peering over the edge of her ruined cockpit. She squinted in the seemingly too-bright sunlight, but all she could see of the pilot was visor and shadow.

"Cagalli?" his surprised voice exclaimed? "Cagalli Yula Athha?"

Before she could reply, Cagalli lost the struggle with her consciousness. Everything went black.

…

When Cagalli next came to, it took her a little while to realize where she actually was. She became aware of the small things first – her head was pounding like a bitch, and she found she couldn't move her arms or legs. Opening her eyes slowly, she discovered both her wrists and ankles had been bound with cable ties.

Starting in fright, her amber eyes snapped open and Cagalli looked wildly around to try and gather where the hell she actually was. She seemed to be a dark cell, barely ten feet wide and seven feet deep. Cage-like bars blocked the entrance and held her on display to whoever walked past, like some animal in a zoo exhibit.

Her breathing hitched in panic. The last thing she remembered before she had blacked out was…she gasped softly. The Naturals. She must be aboard an Earth Alliance ship.

"Cagalli?" a familiar voice whispered her name from the shadows somewhere to her left.

Snapping her head in that direction, Cagalli caught sight of a pair of deep emerald eyes looking at her with a mixture of concern and relief.

"Athrun?" Cagalli tried to move, but couldn't budge an inch with her wrists and legs bound. "Where are we? What the hell's going on?"

"I don't know," he admitted, regret lacing his tone. He seemed to have his legs and arms free, and scooted over to where Cagalli was sitting propped up against a wall. "My team and I were captured during that scouting mission – we've been here for about a day."

"A day?" the blonde narrowed her eyes. She gulped nervously when she tried to think about what had become of the ZAFT ship she had tried to protect.

She turned to look her companion in the eyes, intense relief washing over her at the very fact that he was still alive and breathing, right there next to her. "I was so worried…" she trailed off, her voice breaking.

Athrun gathered her against him, holding her tight. "I was worried too," he whispered. "But we're both still here, that's all that matters."

Cagalli took a shuddering breath, trying to hold back the tears threatening to spill from her eyes at any moment. He was right.

They were suddenly aware of footsteps thudding down the dim corridor leading past the cell they occupied. Athrun shifted protectively infront of Cagalli as a shadowy figure appeared at the door of their cell. Keys jingled and the lock clicked. The iron cell door creaked as it swung open, and the stranger stepped into the cell.

"You two are to come with me to the Captain's quarters," a gentle sounding voice said kindly. "She has a few questions for you."

A light suddenly flickered into life in the stranger's hand, illuminating his features. He wore a blue and red service uniform, had unruly brown hair and kind lilac eyes. He looked not that much older than either Athrun or Cagalli. For a second, Cagalli thought she saw a flicker or recognition pass through his eyes, but a moment later, it was gone.

He knelt down before the prisoners, a carpet knife in his hands. Seeing the hostile look Athrun gave him, the boy smiled reassuringly and swiftly cut Cagalli's bonds.

Athrun helped her up, and they two of them started following the boy out of the cell, along the dim passageway to the exit. The brunette paused for a moment, looking at them over his shoulder.

"I'm Kira Yamato, by the way."

**This was looong :[ I know Kira didn't get too much exposure, but I wanted to stop it there before this chapter became too long to stay focused on.**

**We'll definitely see more of him in the next chapter! :D **

**Please don't forget to review :):)**


	8. Chapter 8

**I know, it's late :/ school's been hectic, only got home after dark and still had homework to do -_-'**

**Anyway, here it is :3 enjoy!**

**Kira and Athrun (for the purposes of this fic) don't know each other prior to Athrun's capture. Just thought I should clear that up in case anyone was confused 8)**

**Chapter seven**

Athrun and Cagalli followed Kira down the brightly lit corridors of the Earth Alliance ship, their eyes darting nervously over ever doorway and side passage they passed. They didn't see many other crew members, but that was probably because they were all out on the battlefield or in the main control rooms.

Cagalli and Athrun clung to each other's hands like they were the last solid things on earth. They felt slightly at ease around Kira's calm nature, but were well-aware of the fact that they were far from safety.

After a few more twists and turns down the linoleum-lined hallways, Kira brought the two prisoners to a stop outside one of the many identical doors that graced the many passages on the ship. The brunette stopped and turned to face them, taking in their similar looks of apprehension.

Kira smiled sympathetically and indicated to the door with a slight nod of his head. "You don't need to worry too much about the captain. She just wants to ask you a few questions, that's all."

Athrun was skeptical. Why attack an enemy scouting team and imprison them just for the sake of a few questions? Surely one pilot would have been enough? Come to think of it…Athrun didn't even know where they were keeping the rest of his squad.

Squaring his jaw and steeling his gaze, Athrun tightened his grip on Cagalli's hand reassuringly and followed the lilac-eyed boy into the captain's quarters.

The room they entered was of medium size, with a small bed in one corner, opposite a porthole window, and a desk directly in front of the door. A short couch was pressed up against the wall adjacent to the door, with a potted plant resting on the side table next to it. It was a pleasant enough room, but the décor did little to put both Athrun and Cagalli's feelings at ease.

There was a woman seated behind the desk, bent over some paper work. Athrun assumed she was the captain – her smart uniform suggested like wise. Her shoulder-length brown hair was loose, forming a curtain between her and her guests as she scribbled furiously on a piece of paper.

Kira cleared his throat unobtrusively and said, "I brought the captives as you wished, Captain."

The woman lifted her head and regarded the three teenagers before her with a calculating green gaze. Seemingly satisfied with whatever mental assessment she had made, the captain put her pen down on the desk with a decisive click and turned her full attention to the two ZAFT soldiers.

"Before I begin with the questions I need answered, it would only be proper that I introduce myself first," she began, clasping her hands together and rested her chin atop them. "I am Captain Murrue Ramius, and the ship you are currently aboard is the Archangel."

Athrun and Cagalli nodded tersely.

"I'm pretty sure you already know who we are," Cagalli answered, her tone clipped and her expression stony. She did not take kindly to being held against her will. She never had.

Captain Ramius laughed softly, shaking her head. "That brings us to my first question – what was the daughter of the leader of the United Emirates of Orb doing in a ZAFT Mobile Suit?" the captain's eyes locked onto Cagalli as she asked the question.

Cagalli visibly stiffened, her expression becoming even more vague. "That is a question I'm not fully obligated to answer."

"Just the response I would expect from the family of such a well-versed politician," the older woman snorted, turning her attention to Athrun. "Maybe you could answer for her?"

"Afraid not, ma'am," came the curt reply from the ZAFT pilot.

"I see how this is going to be," Ramius muttered, sighing. "Let me lay the situation out for you two, so you know exactly what I'm having to deal with here – Cagalli, your father had put multiple orders out to the entire Earth Alliance fleet to immediately notify him of your whereabouts should you be found."

Cagalli's stomach twisted into painful knots at this, but the captain wasn't done.

"The only reason I haven't reported you found is that I don't know the full story behind you being in a ZAFT machine, or the circumstances behind your disappearance. Now, unless you give me something to work with, I will have no choice but to report you and have you shipped back to Orb under full armed guard, and your little friend over here put on trial and most probably executed for the kidnapping of a political official."

**She sure stuck it to 'em :o sorry this chapter wasn't longer, I just want to break this arc into smaller chapters so it doesn't get too long and confusing.**

**Until next time! (which hopefully won't be too long in the future)**

**:D**


	9. Chapter 9

**Thanks to Saki-Hime for reviewing :D and don't worry, Cagalli would never let Athrun take the fall for anything that wasn't his fault (I think). Here's chapter 8! I know it's very short, but I don't want too much to happen in one chapter, otherwise things get confusing.**

**Please tell me what you think I should do for the next chapter :3**

**Chapter eight**

Cagalli frowned, thinking hard. She couldn't possibly trust these people – who had just recently captured her, she might add – with the real reason of why she was with a ZAFT vessel, but she couldn't let anything happen to Athrun either.

She clenched her fists angrily. She hated being caught in a catch 22! Growling low in her throat, Cagalli raised her eyes to glare at the captain of the Archangel. Ramius just met the younger girl's glare with a cool look of her own, her expression carefully blank.

"Athrun didn't _kidnap_ me," the blonde ground out through clenched teeth. "I left on my own accord."

"You boarded an enemy ship of your own free will?" Captain Ramius raised an eyebrow, laying her hands flat on her desk.

Cagalli nodded tersely. "I refused to be a prisoner in my own home. I left with Athrun purely based on my own decision."

"A prisoner in your own home, hmm?" the older woman said musingly, mainly to herself. She then turned her attention to Kira, who stood silently beside her desk. His expression was troubled, though Cagalli couldn't figure out why. "Kira? Maybe you could explain that?"

The brunette boy looked at his captain questioningly, almost as if asking permission for something. Ramius nodded slightly, and he drew a folded piece of paper from his pocket.

Both Cagalli and Athrun's confusion mounted when Kira approached them, unfolding them piece of paper slowly. Cagalli saw that the page was in fact an old photograph, one that had been folded and refolded many times. It was worn around the edges and the creases were started to tear.

"I think," the boy's lilac eyes held an emotion Cagalli couldn't identify as he offered the photograph to her, "this might be the reason your father never wanted you to leave the estate."

Cagalli hesitantly took the faded picture from Kira and looked down at it, frowning. The photo was of a woman in a hospital bed, holding a pair of newborn twins. She had brown hair and was smiling radiantly, every bit the proud mother. The babies she held nestled in her arms must have barely been a day old each – they both still had their eyes closed, and were wrapped up tightly in blue receiving blankets.

Cagalli's frown deepened. She didn't understand what the picture had to do with anything. One of the babies in the picture had a light dusting of brown hair atop its head, while its twin was blonde. She glanced up at Kira, who gave her a beseeching look. Cagalli flipped the photograph around. Two names were scrawled over the back in flowing script.

_Cagalli and Kira_

Cagalli's heart skipped a beat. Her breath shortened suddenly as her eyes widened. She looked up at Kira again, wanting an explanation. Kira offered her a gentle smile.

"My mother gave me that picture just before she died. She told me that I had a twin sister she had been forced to give up for adoption," he explained, his voice quiet. Cagalli looked back down at the photograph, at the twins held in their mother's arms. "She wanted me to find her, reconnect with my lost sibling."

Kira paused for a moment. Cagalli's mind was reeling. If what Kira was implying was true…then she had a brother. _He_ was her brother.

As if confirming her suspicions, Kira added, "I think the reason your father kept you locked up all this time was so you would never meet the brother you were supposed to have. So you would never have had the chance to meet me."


	10. Chapter 10

**Now for the next installment of this story! :D Cagalli has a brother? *le gasp* who wouldda guessed? ;) *sarcasm intended***

**Thanks again to Saki-Hime for reviewing :D come on guys…you know you want that mention too…**

**Chapter nine**

Cagalli, for once in her life, was speechless. Kira – her brother? She was adopted? All this information was threatening to overload her brain.

Suddenly, everything made sense. Why her father had kept her locked up in the mansion…why she had never been allowed to go to public schools and had always had tutors instead…why she had never been permitted to get to know people outside the estate…her 'adoptive' father had never wanted her to meet her twin brother. For what reasons, she couldn't figure out, though she had a feeling she would find out soon enough.

The Captain had ordered Kira to take Cagalli to the mess hall while Athrun was taken back down to the holding cells to be put with the rest of his team, since he was still a ZAFT soldier on an Earth Alliance ship. Cagalli had protested, of course, but one stern look from Ramius had warned her to keep her mouth shut.

Cagalli sighed and slumped at the table she had been sat down at. She supposed it could have been worse – they could still be accusing him of kidnapping and threatening to execute him.

She sat silently with her new-found brother in the empty hall, the only sound being the steady buzz of the neon lights overhead. Kira seemed just as shaken by the revelation that Cagalli was his sibling as she was.

Eventually the silence became too oppressing for her and Cagalli looked up at her twin, scrutinizing him closely. She could see literally no similarities between them – his hair was deep brown, and hers was blonde. His eyes were lilac, and hers were amber. She supposed being fraternal twins would make sense, in this case.

"Do you know why my…father…never wanted us to meet?" she asked, her tone unsure.

Kira looked at her and sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I think..." he started, "it's because you're a Natural and I'm a Coordinator."

Cagalli's eyes widened a fraction? "Coordinator? But you're on an Earth Alliance ship!"

Kira shrugged. "Captain Ramius made me join at Heliopolis. I wasn't really involved in the war before that."

A thoughtful expression settled on Cagalli's face as she leaned her elbows on the polished white table. "Heliopolis? But wasn't that destroyed?"

Cagalli almost laughed at the look on Kira's face – he looked like a naughty school boy caught rifling through a teacher's desk. "Yeah…that was sort of my fault…"

…

A few hours later, Cagalli was taken back down to the holding cells and put with Athrun and the rest of his team. None of them looked too worse for wear, except Yzak, who had a long gash running down his face – starting at his eyebrow and running diagonally across his face to end on the opposite cheek.

The cell gate was slammed close behind her and Cagalli felt her stomach drop at the prospect of being kept in the dank cells for another night.

She settled next to Athrun, leaning against the wall. He threaded his fingers through hers and looked at her questioningly.

"You okay?" he asked softly. "About Kira?"

Cagalli smiled reassuringly at him, nodding her head. "I actually like the fact that I have a brother…I spent a lot of time talking to him up there…"

Athrun returned her smile, resting his head against hers. "The only problem now is – what's going to happen to us aboard this ship?"

**Oooh…what will happen? :o you people tell me ;P**

**Till next time!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Thanks again to Saki-Hime :D **

**I really feel bad that this chapter was so late in coming…**

**If anyone has any ideas on what I should do in the next chapter, or even in the story for that matter, please PM me or review with your suggestions! :D I sort of need the help :/**

**Chapter ten**

Two weeks. Cagalli butted her head against the concrete wall of her cell in frustration. They had been kept prisoner aboard this stinking Earth Alliance ship for _two weeks_.

They hadn't received any contact from their ship. They hadn't been allowed to send word back, either. Even though Cagalli hadn't been on the ZAFT ship for very long, she still felt a nagging concern over what had happened to it after the attack.

It was starting to really get on her nerves, grating away at her conscience every day. Even Kira – her own brother - wouldn't help. Cagalli wasn't sure if he couldn't do anything, or just wouldn't.

"You'll hurt yourself if you keep doing that," Dearca sighed from the corner of the cell he was slumped in. he rested his back on the wall, drawing a knee up and balancing an arm over it. "Wouldn't want you to lose any brain cells or anything, Blondie."

Cagalli snorted and rolled her eyes. "Looks who's talking," she grumbled, eyeing Dearca's own dirty blonde hair.

"Cool it, you two," Athrun looked wearily at both of them. Cagalli saw how tired he looked, and sighed.

This long cramped up together in captivity was starting to take its toll on everyone, both physically and mentally. They were all snappy and irritable. Cagalli dragged herself over to where Athrun sat and laid a head on his shoulder. He looked so tired, the bags under his eyes from lack of sleep visible even in the dim half-light.

He gripped her hand, threading his fingers through hers.

"Why haven't they reported me yet?" she asked softly, more to herself than anyone else. "What's stopping them? Do they have some kind of hidden agenda or something?"

"In all honesty, I don't know," Athrun replied, squeezing her hand comfortingly. "But I'm glad they haven't. I don't know what I would do down here if they took you away."

Cagalli took a deep breath "I don't know what I'd do, either."

…

Over the past week, several different Earth Alliance officers had been coming down to the holding cells to deliver meals and such to the prisoners. Cagalli noticed that they never sent the same person twice.

She was mildly surprised when Kira's apologetic face appeared at the cell gate, his hands curiously absent of any sort of food.

"The captain's asked me to bring you topside," he told Cagalli, unlocking the cell. "I really am sorry that you've all been kept down here so long. There have been…complications with ZAFT and our senior officers."

"Complications?" Cagalli rose unsteadily to her feet, weak after lying or sitting down for so long. "What sort of complications?"

Kira cast one more apologetic look around the dark cell, trying to avoid the piercing glare Dearca was directing at him. "You'll have to talk to the captain in her quarters. It has something to do with ZAFT."

Cagalli stopped just inside the cell. "Then shouldn't the others be coming up as well?"

"Captain Ramius didn't say anything about it, so I suppose so. It would make sense after all," Kira shrugged, opening the cell door further.

Cagalli pulled Athrun to his feet, supporting him as he swayed slightly. He really had been getting no sleep. The others soon followed suit. She sighed and shifted her gaze to Kira.

"After this, we're getting some proper food and mattresses, got it?"

Kira smiled. "I'm sure I could twist a few arms."

When Cagalli, Athrun and the rest of the squad finally made it back into the light, they realized in what a sorry state they actually were. Their uniforms were creased and scuffed, ingrained with the dirt from the floor of the holding cells. Their hair was messy and unkempt, and the signs of fatigue were showing plainly on their faces.

Cagalli frowned as they followed behind Kira, in his neatly-pressed, _clean_ uniform. "We want a decent shower when this meeting is over, too," she grumbled, eyes narrowed.

Kira chuckled, stopping outside the captain's quarters. "I'll see to it."

…

The meeting had been quick and the captain had cut straight to the point. ZAFT and Earth Alliance forces were getting out of control, focusing more on what now seemed like genocide than actual resolution of conflict. The Archangel was joining the Three Ships Alliance, and leaving the Earth Alliance fleet.

Ramius had no qualms when she said, "I'll give you a choice – you can either join us in the Three Ships Alliance, or we'll turn you back out onto the battlefield and you can find your way back to wherever it is that you feel you belong."

Cagalli looked at Athrun, similar expressions of surprise on their faces.

Now what were they to do?


End file.
